As a developing economy, India has numerous developmental aspirations. How India meets these goals without worsening the climate crisis is at the heart of CSTEP's work. Addressing climate change and enabling a secure and sustainable future for Indian citizens require an overhaul of previous paradigms on development and resource utilisation. This is reflected in our work on developing low-carbon trajectories for development with an emphasis on nature-based solutions.
We are working with state governments across India to build capacity on risk and vulnerability assessments to inform their respective action plans on climate change. The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is crucial to achieving a secure and sustainable future. CSTEP's studies explore the possibility of a greater integration of renewables in the energy sector.
Flood-proofing Bengaluru City
About a year ago, Bengaluru witnessed some of the worst floods in its history. Amidst many ad hoc measures, the state responded with excavators, removing encroachments on storm water drains (SWDs). It is clear now that none of the piecemeal solutions have worked. Rainfall over the last couple of weeks has seen flooding reoccur in the same parts of the city as the previous year. We often blame climate change for the mess we are in, and to some degree, this is justified. However, climate change always manifests through complex socio-ecological changes on the ground.
Low-Carbon Transition of Petrochemical Industries in India
The growth of the Indian petrochemical industry can be made sustainable only by mitigating the emissions from it. This study examines the decarbonisation potential of India’s petrochemical sector until 2050 through low- or zero-emission technologies. It also underlines measures for decarbonising this hard-to-abate sector, with the aim to provide inputs for devising suitable strategies and guide policy formulation.